A/N: Warning you guys now, this chapter contains use of alcohol and highly sexual scenes xx


I kicked at a small rock with the toe of my boot as I walked down the cobblestone road. I was wandering a few blocks away from the Academy, keeping to the more lighted streets. I decided I didn't want to go into the library, but at the same time I didn't want to go home to Ryoko. His words still resonated in my mind and squeezed my heart with sadness. Do I really not mean anything to him? I nibbled on my bottom lip and picked at the dirt underneath my nails from my previous skirmish.

"Crystalin?"

I was roused back to reality at the sound of my name. I glanced up from the cobblestone floor and spotted Soul standing on the sidewalk wearing a white tee shirt and blue jeans. His hair was lacking his usual headband and flopping into his eyes as soon as he brushed it away. He had a basketball under his arm as if he had just been playing and a liquor bottle in his left hand.

"What's up? You're out late," he commented.

I shrugged and glanced down the street to make sure nothing was there. "I got into an argument with Ryoko. I'm kinda bummed out," I sighed.

"Hm. That's not cool," he murmured, "Want any? It'll help you get your mind off of whatever you guys fought about." He held out the glass bottle to me and I stared at it hesitantly. After a few moments of uncertainty, I grabbed it and took a swig of the potent alcohol, immediately feeling guilt wash over me. I was such a hypocrite. I had just screamed at Ryoko for getting drunk on the street at night, then an hour later I was out doing the exact same thing.

"I met the missing link to our team a few minutes ago," I remarked, handing him his bottle back after taking another drink, "He kind of saved me from a kishin attack when Mieko and Ryoko weren't with me."

"At least he was there," he said, "Kid's a bit uptight, if you didn't pick up on that right off the bat. He's hard to get along with."

"He seemed...unique," I mumbled.

"Yeah, I guess you could call him that if you wanna be nice," Soul replied with a roll of his eyes and a shrug, "Anyway, wanna come into my place? Maka's out with Mieko, but you probably already knew that." He gestured towards the apartment complex right behind where we stood.

I glanced up at the colorful building that towered above us. I was hesitant to agree, but eventually I gave in and nodded, accepting his offer. He bared his sharp teeth in a grin and ushered me inside, shutting the door behind us and blocking out the chilly night air and all of my problems along with it.


A few drinks later and I was wasted in Soul and Maka's living room. The world felt like it was spinning and it was difficult for me to even keep my head propped up. I hiccupped and fell back into the soft cushions of their sofa. Soul sat beside me, his own crimson eyes glossy as he held his head in his hands and watched me intently.

"I...I've been fuckin' dealing with those two since I was ten," I mumbled, thrusting out my hand with my words and nearly flinging the glass bottle in my grip across the room. I was never a nasty drunk, I was more of an honest drunk. I was going on a rant about Ryoko, spilling all my problems on Soul, who dazedly listened.

"It's okay, you guys'll get p...past it," Soul consoled, patting me on the thigh.

"I-I...try to get along with him, but he's always sayin' something to get to me," I complained, "Ever since we're kids, he's just so full of himself and all he thinks about is his own damn self."

Soul listened to me with a distant look in his eerie eyes. As I ranted on, he stayed silent and let me talk, meanwhile he was studying my every move. I took another drink from the bottle lying on the table and threw my head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Crys'lin, look at me," he slurred. I settled my gaze back onto him and our eyes locked. He was about to say something, but he stopped himself. He inched closer to me on the sofa, closing the gap between us so our thighs brushed. His gaze flickered from my eyes to my lips, and before I knew what was happening, it happened.

He kissed me, hot and full of unabashed lust.

Albeit his sloppy approach, through his movements I could almost feel the desire coursing through his veins. It was definitely something I didn't expect, but I couldn't find it in me to pull away. After days of restraining myself from acting upon my attraction, I was finally able to let loose. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, tangling my fingers in his messy hair.

Everything about our encounter was filled with drunken lust and inconceivable sexual attraction. Soul's hands roamed my body, gliding smoothly down my waist and coming to rest upon my hips with a rough squeeze. He threw me down onto the couch and pinned me in place, his body hovering over my own. Without my conscious consent, I found my fingertips pulling at the hem of his shirt and tugging it up over his head. He pressed his lips to mine and our tongues danced in a heated battle for dominance.

He leaned back on the couch and pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my legs around his waist and moaned lowly as his hands roughly groped my ass. He chuckled against my lips and pulled away for a moment. In a husky, slurred tone he purred, "Why don't we take this into my room?"

He hoisted me up and carried me into his bedroom down the hallway. He kicked the blue door shut behind him and tossed me onto the bed, pouncing on top of me like a lustfully crazed tiger. He pressed his body against mine and I pulled him back down for another steamy French kiss. I felt his sharp teeth graze over my bottom lip, and in response, I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth. He purred, the sound rumbling through his chest and vibrating against my body.

Soul's hands yanked up the hem of my burgundy shirt, tossing it across the room and attacking my bra next. Everywhere on my body where his skin touched mine felt like it was being licked by flames of passion. His kisses travelled from my lips, along my jaw line, and down my neck. I shivered with delight as his razor sharp teeth grazed over the sensitive skin of my throat, creating a tingling sensation that sent chills up my spine.

His fingers lightly traced patterns on my skin that made me run my nails down his back in pure pleasure. "You ready?" he purred against my lips.

The sole response that escaped my lips was a moan.


The next morning, I woke up in a strange bed wearing nothing but a sheet over my naked body. I glanced beside me and saw Soul passed out, his face buried into a pillow and his bare back visible above the covers. Shit...did that really happen last night?

He stirred and turned over, his crimson eyes squinting through the sunlight that shone into his room from the open window. His eyes widened and he bolted upright in bed, almost pulling his covers off. He looked over at me, but I quickly averted my eyes from his gaze.

I glanced over at the small alarm clock on his nightstand. "Class starts soon, we have to get dressed," I muttered.

"I'll turn away, you, uh...gather your stuff. Take a shower, if you want. Maka should be gone by now," he mumbled.

I denied his offer for a shower and quickly collected my clothes that were messily strewn around the room. I slipped on my panties and shorts in a hurry and pulled my burgundy shirt over my head. I stepped into the bathroom to splash some water on my face and rinse out my mouth. When I glanced in the mirror, my hair looked like a lion's mane, so I tied it up into a messy bun to make myself look at least slightly presentable. When I exited the bathroom, Soul was in the living room putting on his shoes. I laced up my combat boots and shrugged on my leather jacket, zipping it up a little lower than usual.

"Take a piece of gum and use some of Maka's perfume. You probably reek like alcohol and sex," Soul muttered. He threw me a pack of gum and a plastic bottle of perfume and I gratefully used them. I set them down on the coffee table when I was finished.

The trip to the Academy was silent and awkward. Neither of us said a word to each other or even dared to look each other in the eye. Both of us knew that was bound to happen eventually, we just didn't know when it would. When we arrived at the classroom, fortunately just before class started, he held open the door for me and I slipped past him silently. I felt multiple pairs of eyes on me as I entered the room. My face heated up and I concentrated on my boots in shame.

I scanned the crowd desperately for my weapon partners. After a few moments of searching, I found them sitting with an empty space between them. Both of their eyes were trained on me as I walked up the aisle with Soul trailing behind me. Maka sat beside Mieko with a cross look on her face as she glared fiercely at her weapon partner.

"You wouldn't wake up when I knocked on your door this morning. I had to walk to school by myself!" Maka complained as Soul slipped past Mieko and into the seat on the opposite side of his meister.

"Where were you all night? I was worried you got yourself killed or something," Ryoko snapped.

"I slept over Soul and Maka's place. No big deal, I'm not dead," I muttered.

"I thought you'd never get to class," commented a new voice. It sounded faintly familiar to me, with its proper tone and sharp edge to every word. I glanced up and found myself looking up into the golden eyes of the boy I had met the night before.

"Oh, um...hey Kid," I greeted with a slight smile, "These are my weapons–"

"Mieko and Ryoko, I know. Maka introduced us. That's why I was expecting your arrival. They're quite symmetrical, I must say. Identical twins," he remarked with a satisfied smile, "I'd love to see their weapon forms for myself sometime."

"You will in basic training tomorrow. We're having another session," Mieko piped up.

A loud crash sounded from the front of the classroom and everyone turned to look. Professor Stein had, yet again, rolled into the room on his office chair and fell over. From the floor, he pointed up at the ceiling and instructed, "Quiet now, students. Class is now in session."